Bishopric of Metz
The Bishopric of Metz is a Roman Catholic diocese based in Metz in Moselle, France. The Bishopric of Metz It is unknown when the diocese of Metz was founded. According to traditional legend, the first bishop was St Clement, who was either sent personally to Metz by St Peter or was bishop from circa 280 until 300. The city of Metz itself was one of the Roman Empire's greatest strongholds near the Germanic border, and long resisted the invasions of various Germanic tribes and the Huns. At the end of the 5th Century, the city was ceded peacefully to the recently Christianised Franks. In 511 Theodoric of Austrasia made the city his residence. Over the years the city thrived through the generous grants and patronage of Frankish kings and Queen Brunhilda (lived (c. 543 – 613) in particular. The first historically confirmed bishop was Hesperus (525 - 542), although the oratory of St Stephen has been proven to date from the 5th Century. In the 7th Century monastic communities developed around the city. Metz maintained the goodwill of the Carolingians. King Charles the Bald was crowned in the cities' basilica, and Emperor Louis I the Pious was buried here. Bishop Drogo (823 - 855) was an illegitimate son of the Emperor Charlemagne, and obtained much wealth and power through his loyal support to Louis I. In 843 Metz became the capital of Middle Francia and hosted seeveral important diets and councils. In 870 the city became part of the East Frankish realm, and from 911 until 925 was part of Lotharingia in France. In 945 Bishop Adalbert I of Bar (929 - 964) obtained one third of the countship of Metz, and in 959 was placed directly under the Emperor. The bishop's power grew strongly, and they obtained the other two thirds of the Metzgau in 1047 and 1152. In 1039 an elaborate edifice was built to replace the old church of St Stephen. During the 12th Century the inhabitants of the city first agitated for independence from the bishops. In 1180 the burgesses organised themselves into a union, and in 1207 were appointed (by the bishops) as part of the town council, thereby making Metz an Imperial City. By 1383, the city had obtained full independence from the bishops. During the Investiture Controversy, the bishops sided with the pope which lead to the appointment of royal bishops in their stead. Until the resolution of the dispute, Metz was fought over between a series of papal-sided bishops and another of Imperial-sided ones. The bishops later entered into constant quarrels various lords and princes in the empire, and through these lost many of the extensive territories they had acquired over the years. From 1484 the bishops came from the ducal house of Lorraine, and these bishops were obliging in the cession of some of the remaining territories to the duchy. The main benefit of this arrangement was that once the Reformation broke out, the bishops and their powerful ducal relatives helped prevent it being established in the diocese. In 1552 the Protestant princes of the Empire signed an agreement with King Henry II of France ceding both, and the city gates were opened to the French on April 10. Nonetheless the Bishopric continued to be recognised as part of the Holy Roman Empire, if only in name, and continued to send representatives to the Imperial Diets. In 1648 the Peace of Westphalia recognised the French annexation of the bishopric, and it lost all remnants of secular authority. Under French rule disputes broke out over the position of bishop until 1664 when Pope Alexander VII granted the right to King Louis XIV. In general the French kings appointed pious men to the bishopric. In 1801 the diocese was reorganised following an agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII. The diocese was now under the metropolitan Archbishopric of Besançon, instead of the Archbishopric of Trier it was during the Middle Ages]]. In 1871 Metz was annexed by the German Empire, and in 1874 the diocese was placed directly under the papal see. Metz was returned to France in 1918. See Also: *List of Bishops of Metz Metz Category:Diocese of Metz